Directions:

1. Whisk the butter and sugar until doubled in volume and light and fluffy in texture.

2. Add the eggs and beat on high speed for 4 minutes.

3. Add the salt, vanilla bean and bananas and mix on low speed for 30 seconds until the bananas are mashed.

4. Add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, chocolate, walnuts and shredded coconut. Mix/fold gently on low speed for 30 seconds until everything is combined and no more flour is visible. Do not overmix.

5. Divide the batter into 2 baking loaf tins and smooth the tops.

6. Arrange the sliced bananas on top of each loaf and sprinkle with 1 tablespoon raw sugar over top.

7. Bake at 375°F for 45 minutes until the centre comes clean.

8. Let cool in tins for 10 minutes before gently removing onto a wire rack to completely cool. Sprinkle with icing sugar and slice with a sharp knife.

1. In a large bowl, whisk all the liquid ingredients together and then slowly whisk in the flour and remaining ingredients.
2. Melt some butter on a hot, flat surface (griddle or pan) and ladle 1/3 cup of the batter. Add desired toppings (sliced bananas, blueberries, chocolate chips, etc).
3. Flip over when they have risen (double in size). Transfer to a plate and garnish with fresh fruit and maple syrup. Enjoy!

Happy December! We’re in the last days of the year and unveiling our final PC Black Label Collection box. Let’s take a closer look at these wonderful products and what we will be using to make our holiday recipe this month!

100% pure and crafted in the Beauce-Frontenac region of Quebec, this lusciously sweet Pure Maple Syrup is harvested late in the season for a heightened and deeply rich maple flavour and naturally dark colour.

I opted to go with the PC Black Label Pure Maple Syrup this month to make Maple Mousse Verrine cups. Perfect for the holiday season and easy entertaining, they’re decadent and delicious and will have your guests asking for seconds! Simple ingredients bring this beautiful dessert together in no time and can be prepared ahead of time without the fuss!

This PC Black Label Pure Maple Syrup is rich and decadent and we’ve been enjoying it in these Maple Mousse Verrines as well as on pancakes, waffles, oatmeal (yum!) ice cream and even in my morning coffee.

I hope you’ll try out my new recipe this month and let me know what you think in the comments section below or on my social media channels using my hashtag #hautesucre.

Whether you’re a home chef or an aspiring foodie, the PC Black Label Collection makes it easy to unleash your culinary curiosity and get creative. Discover the entire collection and be inspired to #PlayWithYourFood at pc.ca/blacklabel.

A must-have during the holiday season and colder weather months, add a drop or two of this refreshing pure peppermint extract to hot chocolate, cappuccino, cookies, candies, icings, and sweetened whipped cream. It’s also great massaged onto your temples to relieve a headache!

This sweet wine jelly is infused with ripe, sweet figs and dry, full-bodied Cabernet Sauvignon, a red wine with rich black currant and dark cherry notes. It’s the perfect pairing this holiday season, whether it’s a part of an appetizer cheese tray or brushed onto a plum or pear tart for dessert.

Known for its superior quality, the Madagascar-Bourbon vanilla bean is the most popular of all the vanilla varieties. It is highly fragrant, with desirable thin, oil-rich skin, and has sweet, smooth flavours and aromas.

I have had a chance to try these products in various recipes and I must say that my favourite item this month has been the PC Black Label Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla Bean. As a Pastry Chef, this is a highly coveted item that I love to work with and always reach for before using any extracts. The flavour is rich and shines in any sweet or savory dish that it is used in. For this month, I decided to showcase my love for cranberries and vanilla bean in the form of scones. I love this time of year with the fresh cranberries and the holiday season fast approaching, these are perfect to make for a weekend brunch. They are sure to please everyone. If you’re not a fan of cranberries, you can swap them out for blueberries or raspberries. I’m excited to be hosting a giveaway for next month’s PC Black Label Collection Black Box on my Instagram feed. Read on for more information and how to enter below. Good Luck! I hope you’ll enjoy the recipe and it becomes your favourite go-to breakfast dessert. I would love to see your recreations using the hashtag, #hautesucre on your social media channels. Whether you’re a home chef or an aspiring foodie, the PC Black Label Collectionmakes it easy to unleash your culinary curiosity and get creative. Discover the entire collection and be inspired to #PlayWithYourFood at pc.ca/blacklabel.

*PC Black Label Collection December Black Box Instagram Giveaway*

Giveaway details will be posted on my Instagram account @hautesucre. Head on over to find the post of this Cranberry Vanilla Bean Scones Recipe to enter via the Instagram comments. Giveaway Rules:

The giveaway will be open for entries on Instagram from Monday November 26th, 2018 to Wednesday November 28, 2018 9:00PM EST. Please follow the instructions in the Instagram post to enter.

The winner will be chosen randomly on the morning of Thursday November 29, 2018 and contacted via Instagram direct message.

Topping:

2 tsp cream

2 tsp raw sugar

Finishing:

½ cup white chocolate, melted

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 425°F. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.

For the Scones:

Using a sharp paring knife, slice the vanilla bean lengthwise from tip to end. Use the back of the knife to scrape out the vanilla beans. *The vanilla bean pod can be reused and added to your sugar container to make vanilla scented sugar.

Pour in the buttermilk and cranberries and stir with a fork until a soft, sticky dough forms. Turn out onto a floured surface and, with floured hands, gently knead and shape the dough, adding more flour to prevent sticking as necessary until dough comes together.

Pat out to a 9-inch (23 cm) circle or square as shown and cut into 12 wedges. Place on prepared baking sheet, at least 1-inch (2.5 cm) apart.

Topping:

Brush tops of scones with heavy cream and sprinkle with raw sugar.

Bake for 15 to 20 min, until puffed and golden.

Let cool for at least 20 min on a wire rack.

Melt the white chocolate in a heat proof bowl for 45-60 seconds on high in the microwave.

Using the tines of a fork or the back of a spoon, drizzle the white chocolate over top of the scones. Let it set for a few minutes until the chocolate sets and is no longer runny. Enjoy!

PC Black Label Smoked Paprika Spice:
Popular in authentic Spanish dishes and in recipes from surrounding regions of the Mediterranean, use our aromatic and distinctively tasting sweet-bitter spice to add wood-smoked red pepper flavours and aromas to everything from eggs to meat, and fish to vegetables.

PC Black Label Nero Di Seppia Conchiglie Pasta:
Authentically made from durum wheat semolina and natural spring water, along with an infusion of traditionally Italian cuttlefish ink and a touch of lemon, our dramatically coloured shell-shaped pasta has a lovely, delicate flavour that pairs well with sautéed seafood tossed in creamy or tomato-based sauces. Imported from Italy.

I have had a chance to try these products in various recipes and I must say that my favourite item this month has been the PC Black Label White Truffle Oil. It has such a delicate flavour that immediately I thought of making pizza bianca so that the flavours would really shine through and be enhanced with equally delicious ingredients.

And who can resist pizza? I for one, cannot. I could eat pizza everyday – for breakfast, lunch or dinner. This twist on a classic pizza is comprised with a few key ingredients such as comte cheese, thinly sliced potatoes, mushrooms, onions, and herbs. Topped with this lovely White Truffle Oil, the pizza just melts in your mouth!

I make this on fresh, no knead pizza dough which I have linked the recipe to below, but it can be made on any store bought pizza dough as well if you’re short on time. This meal is perfect for a romantic date night meal if you want to impress your loved one, or can be easy, nutritious and simple enough to make on a busy weeknight.

I hope you’ll give it a try and be sure to leave me a comment below if you make it, I would love to hear from you. You can also use my hashtag, #hautesucreon social media channels. Happy cooking!

Whether you’re a home chef or an aspiring foodie, the PC Black Label Collectionmakes it easy to unleash your culinary curiosity and get creative. Discover the entire collection and be inspired to #PlayWithYourFood at pc.ca/blacklabel. Be sure to stay tuned as I will be doing another giveaway next month!

Summertime cuisine always reminds me of easy and quick dinners and eating alfresco on the patio, enjoying the outdoors. How about you? Do you enjoy cooking in the summer or grilling every meal outdoors? I must admit that I still look to cook no matter the heat but my focus shifts to meals that can be easily eaten outdoors and are more portable. Foods that complement a big summer salad and other grilled sides.

Fresh asparagus, tomatoes, and all the summer fruit, I love eating, cooking, and baking with it all!

I was in for a real treat this month with a beautiful selection of products from Italy and from Indonesia. I love that every month I get to go on a culinary world tour and try a new condiment or cuisine staple. It makes cooking all that more exciting and gives new meaning to #PlayWithYourFood with the PC Black Label Collection! Let’s explore this month’s box:

Milled specially for pasta dough, this “00” flour is the finest grade of flour cold-milled in Italy. With a silky soft texture, it’s perfect for creating traditional fresh pasta and gnocchi dishes for a taste of Italy from your very own kitchen.

Commonly used in Balinese cuisine, this intensely flavourful sambal matah is a sweet chili condiment made with cherry peppers, shallots, garlic and lemongrass. Excellent in curries, it also lends rich, spicy flavour to coconut rice and grilled fish. Imported from Indonesia.

This is an easy summer tart that truly shows off beautiful produce and it’s the perfect meal. I have paired the PC Roasted Cherry Tomatoeswith creamy Greek feta cheese, crisp asparagus and fresh oregano and thyme all nestled into a buttery puff pastry tart. I encourage you to play with your food and experiment in the kitchen with these wonderful products.

I hope you enjoy the recipe and as always, I would love to see your recreations. Simply hashtag your creations #hautesucre on social media channels.

Whether you’re a home chef or an aspiring foodie, the PC Black Label Collectionmakes it easy to unleash your culinary curiosity and get creative. Discover the entire collection and be inspired to #PlayWithYourFood at pc.ca/blacklabel.

(This post is sponsored by President’s Choice. I used their to PC Roasted Cherry Tomatoes to make this beautiful Roasted Cherry Tomato Tart.)

Kulfi is a popular frozen dairy dessert from the Indian Subcontinent, often described as traditional Indian ice cream. It is one of my favourites and evokes delicious memories of hot summers with my siblings and cousins, playing outside in the hot sun and eating cold kulfis, dribbling down our chins with happy grins.

These coveted treats were also the dessert highlight to many family dinners we attended, hoping there would be kulfi with falooda to finish off the meal. It was the perfect sweet combination of sickly sweet with the cool of the pistachio and almond cream, the essence of rose and beautiful saffron threads.

Perhaps this is where my love of desserts first started as a young child and fast forward to today, mixing cultures and recreating desserts with a French twist. Who can resist playing with their food, especially when it comes to ice cream!

I’ve always loved rhubarb and worked with it quite a bit in Paris and it just felt like a natural fit to pair it with this decadent PC Black Label Pistachio Ice Cream. It also ties in perfectly with Spring right now as I love to make desserts with available, in-season produce. It’s the perfect time to make this dessert, especially if you can get your hands on fresh rhubarb stalks this time of year. So come on, let’s play…

When I opened up this month’s PC Black Label Box I was delighted to see a selection of wonderful products.

PC Black Label Pistachio Ice Cream

PC Black Label Rooibos Tea

PC Gorgonzola Dolce

PC Black Label Pistachio Ice Creamis an artisanal-style ice cream made with whole cream, sugar, egg yolks and pistachio paste that leaves a rich, velvety and luxurious melt-in-your-mouth experience. I was immediately drawn to this and all I could think of was kulfi and what to pair this with to make an outstanding dessert.

PC Gorgonzola Dolce is a sweet and creamy cheese that is a milder blue cheese that makes a great addition to any cheese board for the blue cheese lovers or melted over a hot, sizzling steak this summer!

Whether you’re a home chef or an aspiring foodie, the PC Black Label Collectionmakes it easy to unleash your culinary curiosity and get creative. Discover the entire collection and be inspired to #PlayWithYourFood at pc.ca/blacklabel.

I hope you’ll enjoy the recipe and it becomes your favourite go-to dessert. I would love to see your recreations using the hashtag, #hautesucre on your social media channels.

I’m excited to be hosting a giveaway for next month’s PC Black Label Collection Black Box on my Instagram feed. Read on for more information and how to enter below. Good Luck!

*PC Black Label Collection June Black Box Instagram Giveaway*

Giveaway details will be posted on my Instagram account @hautesucre. Head on over to find the post of this Pistachio & Rhubarb Kulfi to enter via the Instagram comments.

Giveaway Rules:

The giveaway will be open for entries on Instagram from Monday May 21, 2018 to Thursday May 24, 2018 11:59PM EST. Please follow the instructions in the Instagram post to enter.

The winner will be chosen randomly on the morning of Friday May 25, 2018 and contacted via Instagram direct message.

These Orange Mousse Cups are the perfect dinner party dessert, yet perfect for a simple weeknight treat. They are quick and easy to make, light and airy in texture, and refreshing. You can easily make this ahead of time, with little or no fuss at all. All you need are simple and wholesome ingredients to turn into a magical dessert that your friends and family will love!

I have made these Orange Mousse Cups with Tropicana Pure Premium Orange Juice to give it a nice refreshing taste that really complements this eggless mousse. I love incorporating nutritious foods into my desserts, so it’s a great feeling knowing Tropicana Pure Premium Orange Juice provides the additional nutritional benefits. The orange juice gives this mousse the rich and velvety orange flavour and gives off the impression that you spent hours to make it, when in fact it can be ready in under 30 minutes.

I hope you’ll try out this recipe and if you do, please share them with me using my hashtag #hautesucre, I would love to see them. Make these for your next brunch or dinner party, they’re sure to become your new favourite mousse, get the recipe below. Enjoy!